Putin to deliver State of the Nation address today

MOSCOW: Russian President Vladimir Putin will deliver his State of the Nation address on Tuesday, just three days before the first anniversary of Moscow's ongoing invasion of Ukraine.

Putin's annual speech will also come a day after US President Joe Biden's historic secret trip to Kiev, during which he reaffirmed his country's support for Ukraine and promised new sanctions for Russia.

The address to the Federal Assembly will take place at the Gostiny Dvor venue in Moscow at noon (about 2.30 p.m. IST), Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.

The last time Putin delivered his address to Parliament was in April 2021 which was an hour and 19 minutes long, reports TASS News Agency.

In 2018, the speech was the longest and took an hour 55 minutes.

In 2004 and 2005, Putin delivered his shortest speeches of 48 minutes each.

The Kremlin spokesman told reporters on Sunday that although the key points of the scheduled address have not been disclosed, the President will make one of the main emphases on the "current situation" on issues related to the "special military operation" -- Russia's term for the Ukraine invasion -- to economy and social problems.

"Everyone is waiting for the address, hoping to hear the assessment of the affairs, the assessment of the special military operation, the assessment of the international situation and the President's vision of how we manage it and how we will develop in the future," TASS News Agency quoted Peskov as saying.

Meanwhile, the Kremlin decided to invite only Russian reporters and journalists from "friendly countries".

"Foreign reporters from unfriendly states have not been accredited, but they will be able to work by watching the live broadcast on a TV channel of their choosing," the spokesman added.